Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab

in collaboration with
Department of English & Cultural Studies
Panjab University, Chandigarh
organises
RGNUL Exagium 2020
International Essay Writing Competition
About RGNUL, Punjab
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab is a premier educational
institute. It has been established by the State Legislature of Punjab by Punjab Act No.12 of
2006. The University acquired approval of the Bar Council of India (BCI) in July 2006.
In 2007 the University got registered with the University Grants Commission (UGC), New
Delhi under Section 2(f) of the UGC, Act, 1956. The University has been Accredited with ‘A’
Grade by NAAC in 2015.

About Department of English & Cultural Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh

The Department of English, established in 1956, is one of the premier centres of English
in the country. It offers subjects ranging from Contemporary British Literature to Indian Writing
in English, from World Literatures to Contemporary Critical Approaches. Apart from imparting
instruction at the Masters and Undergraduate level, research work on a large scale in new and
challenging areas is being conducted by the faculty as well as the students.

About RGNUL Exagium

RGNUL Exagium is an Online International Essay Writing Competition for

Undergraduates, Postgraduates and Research Scholars from diverse disciplines. With an
objective to test the reading, writing and analytical skills of the students, RGNUL Exagium
attempts to engage them in the reading of literary texts. The reading of such texts propels avid
reader to fathom the relevance of several thematic concerns of the writer that are related to
society and culture. These concerns of the writers who pen fictional and non fictional texts open
new vistas of understanding for the reader. The analytical reading of these books also enables
the readers to comprehend the contemporary times.

RGNUL Exagium 2020 is open to Students & Professionals. Participants can select
book/s from Group A and write an analytical essay on it. Participants shall give an appropriate
title to the Essay on the selected text. The essay must focus on the thematic concerns of the
book/writer. Participants can also select a title from Group B for essay writing. Participants in
Group B will discuss 2-3 books of the writer relevant to the title. This can also include a non-
fictional text by the writer.
 Essay entry must be original, logical and coherent. It should not be a summary. It should
discuss the major issues/themes of the text. The analysis of the text must be supported with
proper evidence and personal response. Two texts can also be selected for the essay. Participants
can select either Group A or Group B/both A & B.

Note: Previous Publication, Essays on Classics ISBN 978-93-84166-32-8, is available in RGNUL Library. For
a copy of the book, interested Participants can contact exagium2020@gmail.com by 17th August 2020.

Group A
Participants will select book/s from the given list. Title of the Essay will be given by the
Participant.
Author Name of the Book
1. Agatha Christie Death on the Nile
2. Amitav Ghosh The Shadow Lines
3. Charles Dickens David Copperfield
4. Doris Lessing Memoirs of a Survivor
5. Ernest Hemingway The Sun Also Rises
6. Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Idiot
7. Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird
8. Honoré De Balzac Father Goriot
9. Honoré De Balzac The Black Sheep
10. John Grisham The Runaway Jury
11. Joseph Condrad The Shadow- Line
12. Kate Chopin The Awakening
13. Marcel Proust In Search of Lost Time
14. Samuel Richardson Clarissa
15. Toni Morrison Beloved
16. Toni Morrison The Bluest Eye
17. Thomas Love Peacock Nightmare Abbey
18. William Faulkner The Sound and The Fury
19. Wilkie Collins The Woman in White
20. William Thackeray Vanity Fair
 Group B
Participants will analyze 2-3 fictional/ non-fictional books by the Author. Select one title from
the list given below:
1. Rabindranath Tagore and Cosmopolitanism
2. R. K. Narayan's Novels
3. Henry David Thoreau and Transcendentalism
4. John Bunyan, Age of Crisis and Moral Development
5. T. S. Eliot and Identity
6. John Galsworthy and Justice
7. John Grisham and Legal Fiction
8. The Law and Charles Dickens
9. Mahasweta Devi and the Subaltern
10. Mystery and Murder in Agatha Christie's Fiction
11. The Philosophy of Simone de Beauvoir
12. Jean-Paul Sartre's Existentialism
13. Henrik Ibsen and Feminism
14. Jane Austen and Womanhood
15. Toni Morrison and Motherhood
16. Honoré De Balzac and Realism
17. Reality, Ideology and George Orwell
18. Gender and Patriarchy in Mahesh Dattani
19. Amitav Ghosh, Boundaries and Beyond
20. The Fantasy World in J.K. Rowling's Fiction
Eligibility Criteria and Rules for the Competition
 The Competition is open to the Students pursuing Undergraduate (B.A.LL.B/
BA/B.Sc./B.Com/BBA/B.Tech/MBBS) or any other Undergraduate and
Postgraduate courses (MA/LL.M//MSc./MPhil/PhD) in any University/College
across the globe and Professionals.

 Only Original essays on the selected book/title that have not been published or have
not been accepted for publication should be mailed to exagium2020@gmail.com

 Plagiarism of any form shall result in disqualification.

 No identification marks must be found in any part of the Essay.

 The Essay must be type-written in English, in Times New Roman, 12 font size and 1.5
line spacing with both sides justified. The citation/References must be in MLA Style.

 The Essay must be submitted in MS-Word format.

 Word limit for the Essay in Group A is 2500-3500 words (inclusive of Bibliography)

 Word limit for the Essay in Group B is 3000-6000 words

 Participants will submit Soft Copy of the Abstract (500 Words) and a brief Bio-note by
17th August 2020.

 Soft Copy submission of Essay, Registration Form, Institutional ID/brief Bio-Note,

e-receipt and Declaration Form on or before 06th September 2020.

 Hard Copy submission (only for Indian Students and Professionals) of Essay,
Registration Form, Institutional ID/brief Bio-Note, e-receipt and Declaration Form
on or before 11th September 2020.

 Late Entries shall not be accepted.

 Only two co-authors shall be allowed.

 Students can participate in both Group A and B. Registration Fee for two Essays will be
Rs.2000/- Co- Author entry (with same Co-Authors) will be Rs. 3000/-

 Co-Authors in the category of Professionals cannot send double entry (Two Essays).

 The University shall publish the essays recommended by the Experts in a Book with
an ISBN number.

 Authors shall receive a copy of the Book.

 Certificates of Participation shall be given to all the authors.

 No Registration Fees for International Participants (Students).

 International Students and Professionals must mail the Soft Copy only.

 e-Certificates shall be mailed to International Participants.

 No Registration Fees for RGNUL Students.

 The students of RGNUL shall not be eligible for prizes but the best entries shall be
felicitated with Certificates of Merit.

 Professionals shall not be eligible for Prizes. Essays by Professionals will be

considered for Publication only.
 Registration Fees

Students (National)
Group A or Group B Rs. 1000/- (Single author); Rs. 1500/- (Co- authors)
Group A and Group B Rs. 2000/- (Single Author); Rs. 3000/- (Co-Authors)
Professionals (National)
Group A or Group B Rs. 2000/- (Single Author); Rs. 3000/- (Co-Authors)
Group A and Group B Rs. 4000/- (Single Author)
Professionals (International)
Group A or Group B 30 USD (Single Author); 55 USD (Co-Authors)
Group A and Group B 60 USD (Single Author)
Mode of Payment Online Online Payment link will be available on
www.rgnul.ac.in
Online link will be available from
6th August 2020 to 6th September 2020

Evaluation Criteria (Group A)

Title Originality Analysis Language Coherence Total Marks

05 15 30 30 20 100

Evaluation Criteria (Group B)

Text/s Originality Analysis Language Coherence Total Marks

05 15 30 30 20 100

Guidelines for Submission

 Registration Form can be downloaded from www.rgnul.ac.in

 E-mail ID for submission exagium2020@gmail.com

 Soft Copy of Abstract and brief Bio-note to be submitted by 17th August 2020

 Online Registration Portal available from 6th August 2020 to 6 th September 2020
  Soft Copy of the Essay, Scanned Copies of the filled Registration Form, Institutional ID Proof
and e-receipt and Declaration Form to be submitted on or before 6th September 2020.

 Hard Copy of the Essay, Registration Form, Institutional ID Proof, e-receipt and Declaration
Form must be sent through Registered Post only.

 Entries must be addressed to:

Dr. Navleen Multani
Assistant Professor of English
Coordinator, RGNUL Exagium
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab
Bhadson Road, Sidhuwal, Patiala - 147006 (India)

Important Dates for Submission

Soft Copy of Abstract 17 th August 2020
Soft copy of Essay, Registration Form, scanned copy of ID Proof , 6 th September 2020
e-receipt & Declaration Form

Hard copy of Essay, Registration form, Photocopy of ID Proof, 11th September 2020
e-receipt & Declaration Form

Declaration of Result November 2020 (Last Week)

Awards

 Cash Prizes and Certificates of Merit shall be awarded to 3 best essays.

 Certificates of Participation shall be given to all Authors.
 1st Prize:5000INR
 2nd Prize:4000INR
 3rd Prize: 3000INR
 Special Prize Exagium Ambassador: 3000 INR
(Anyone who encourages 3 or more Students/Professionals to write on the literary texts/titles can
send the details of Registered Participants to exagium2020@gmail.com by 17 th September 2020
to claim the Prize. The Winner will be intimated).
 Result shall be displayed on the University website www.rgnul.ac.in
 Winners shall be intimated through e-mail and on their mobile numbers.
 Advisory Committee

Professor (Dr.) Paramjit S. Jaswal Professor Deepti Gupta

Vice-Chancellor Chairperson
RGNUL Punjab, India Department of English & Cultural Studies
Panjab University, Chandigarh

Professor (Dr.) Naresh Kumar Vats Dr. Navleen Multani

Registrar Assistant Professor of English
RGNUL Punjab, India Coordinator, RGNUL Exagium

Student Coordinators
Dikshi Arora, Raghav Chandak, Pushpendra Sharma, Behlin Kaur

Contact/Queries

0175-2391200, 09878200051, 0924559982, 07300252667, 07023314128, 08544824708

Email ID: exagium2020@gmail.com


Student /Professional/Group
Title of the Essay
Name of Participant/Co-Author
Course/Stream/ Designation
Name of Institute/University
Nationality
Email ID
Contact Number
Address for Correspondence
City/State/Province
Zip Code
Details of Co-Author/ Nationality
Course/Stream/ Designation
Name of Institute/University
Email ID
Contact Number
Address for Correspondence
City/State/Province
Zip Code
* Registration Fee
Reference No./ DD/Date
*Registration Fees
Students (National) Group A or Group B
Group A and Group B (two entries)
Professionals (National)
Group A or Group B
Group A and Group B (two entries)
Professionals (International)
Group A or Group B
Group A and Group B (two entries)
RGNUL Exagium 2020
REGISTRATION FORM
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Rs. 1000/- (Single Author); Rs. 1500/- (Co- Authors)
Rs. 2000/- (Single Author); Rs. 3000/- (Co-Authors)
Rs. 2000/- (Single Author); Rs. 3000/- (Co-Authors)
Rs. 4000/- (Single Author)
30 USD (Single Author); 55 USD (Co-Authors)
60 USD (Single Author)